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@grahamrkings
Graham's Ponderings...
Welcome to Nourishing Connections. I hope you will discover more and more about God, and God’s extraordinary world, as you explore this site.
I was ordained in 1980 and have loved serving as a curate, missionary, theologian, vicar, bishop, and mission theologian, in London, Kenya, Cambridge, Islington, Sherborne, and the global South of the Anglican Communion. Now living in retirement in Cambridge, I am an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Ely and Senior Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, which I founded in 1996.
The seven paintings of Women in the Bible, at the top of each section, are by Silvia Dimitrova. We enjoyed working together on this project from 2003-2020 and my accompanying poems are in the poetry section. Tristan Latchford has composed seven anthems on these paintings and poems and the world premiere was on 14 June 2023 at St Stephen, Walbrook, London. A 17 min Fugue State Films film of the premiere may be seen here and the concert programme (with biblical texts, photos of the paintings, poems and bios) may be seen here.
I am very grateful to the editors and publishers of the books, journals and websites where these publications first appeared.
Nourishing Memories Chap 9: Called to be Missionaries
08/10/2024 From Nourishing Memories
Continuing my memoir, ‘Nourishing Memories’, in Chapter 9, ‘Called to be Missionaries’. I describe the BBC Radio interview which led to Alison and I becoming members of the Church Missionary Society, our call, training in Birmingham and preparations for moving to Kenya.
Republished with permission from Covenant: link to original, 7 Oct 2024, is here. For other chapters of Nourishing Memories, see the Contents Page here.
20. Blessings and Meetings: Matthew 5 and 25
29/06/2024 From Ponderings
My imaginative exploration of the links between the Beatitudes of Christ (Matthew 5) and Christ hidden in his missionary disciples (Matthew 25) intersperced with four of my recent poems. Published originally on Covenant 18 and 19 June 2024.
19. Extraordinary Easters
17/04/2024 From Ponderings
I remember, and reflect on, three extraordinary Easters in 1986 (Kajiado, Kenya), 2010 (Salisbury Cathedral) and 2023 (Chesterton, Cambridge). Published first on Covenant https://covenant.livingchurch.org/2024/04/04/extraordinary-easters/ 4 April 2024 and republished with permission.
18. Kingston to Cambridge without a Camel
26/03/2024 From Ponderings
In June 1999, Joseph Galgalo and I walked 95 miles, with 22 other friends, from 'Oxford to Cambridge with a Camel', to raise funds for camel-based nomad schools in northern Kenya.
On Sun 30 June 2024, for our 25th anniversary, Faith Galgalo, Joseph's 25 year old daughter, and I with friends, will walk 9 miles from 'Kingston to Cambridge without a Camel', to raise funds for Bubisa School, one of the schools funded in 1999.
17. Quintet of Quips and Quibbles
06/02/2024 From Ponderings
Four of my new short poems, Quips, and one longer poem, a Quibble, written during an eight-day silent retreat at the Jesuit Centre, St Beuno’s in North Wales, Aug 2023, published originally on Covenant 2 Feb 2024.